London, Berlin and Paris in 10 days

While those are 3 very fun cities (haven't been to Berlin but I have a list of things that look fantastic), they do not fit together well on a 10 day trip. You would have more fun if you just do London and Paris, 5 nights each. You would have time to fully explore each city and maybe take a day trip from each one.

If you're adamant about a third city, choose something that's an easy train connection between London and Paris. You could opt for a few days in a charming small town that's in between, like Canterbury. There's lots of other small town options...with map and a guidebook, you can track some down. Save Berlin for another trip.

You might get more responses if you post your questions under General Europe. You have posted this under Trip Reports, where people report on trips they have already taken.

Thanks for both tips. We'll definitely keep it to the two big cities. And I'll also move this to General Europe. I just joined this site today so I'm still learning. Thanks for your help and patience!

Berlin isn't really that close to the other two. By train it's almost ten hours from London to Berlin. It's almost a five hour flight, and that doesn't include getting the airport early and getting from London to the airport and from Tegel to Berlin. So, one whole day out of ten would be lost just getting to Berlin. And you will lose another getting to Paris. The flight from Berlin to Paris is about five hours too, and the train over eight.

If I were to add a city to London and Paris it would be Amsterdam. In contrast London to Amsterdam is just five hours by train, or you could take an overnight ferry and sleep on the way. Amsterdam to Paris is less than three and one half hours by train.

But I wouldn't add another city. I'd stick with London and Paris. You wouldn't get bored in a week let alone five days in either city and both have day trip possibilities.

Hi,

Under the circumstances with the tight schedule, I would fly London to Berlin. Depart Paris Est to Frankfurt Hbf, direct , then take the direct ICE to Berlin Hbf. Depending on your travel style, if you want to do CNL night train, Berlin to Offenburg, then take the S-Bahn Offenburg to Strasbourg, then the TGV direct to Paris, if you don't want to fly back to Paris from Berlin. The Berlin-Paris night train has been abolished since Dec 2015.

If I had a sudden opportunity like this, I'd buy a guidebook covering both London and Paris, read the sightseeing sections, and make a list of potentially interesting destinations. Then I'd go to Trip Advisor and look at sight reviews. Sometimes a quirky small sight right up your alley will pop up on Trip Advisor and not appear in the mass market guidebooks (unless you buy a book entirely dedicated to one city).

My list would indicate days the sights are closed (or close early). Some purely touristy things (boat trips, not museums) may have limited hours of operation in March. Guidebooks often seem to assume that everyone travels during high season. If in doubt, check current details online before departure.

Before leaving I'd use some sort of map (printed off the Internet if something larger isn't available) and plot the location of interesting sights, looking for clusters that can be targeted on a single day (again checking for days closed). If there's a crowded, must-see sight for which advance reservations allow you to avoid a long line, you'll have to decide whether it's worth tying yourself down to a particular day and time by booking in advance. I have no idea how bad the line is at the Louvre, for example, in March.

You will certainly have more on your list than can be accomplished in 5 days per city, but that's OK. It's good to have options if case bad weather rains out Kew Gardens, or you've had your fill of museums by Day 4. Do try to have varied destinations on your list. For example, I like to work in a sightseeing trip by boat when I can, preferably in the afternoon after a morning of walking around.

Mark the locations of city tourist offices on your maps so you'll know when you end up near one. It's always worth stopping in for a city map and to check on any special events going on. Many special events are not well-publicized online. The T.O. can also verify the hours of museums and the days of street markets. Some of this information may be available from your hotel, but the T.O. will have broader knowledge.

For London, check out the theatrical offerings to see whether there are things you want to see (but not on your first night; you'll wish you were in bed).

If the weather's decent, I'd try to find time for at least one day-trip to a smaller city outside either London or Paris; the guide book will identify key nearby options, or the T.O. can make suggestions. Smaller towns always feel more foreign, and thus more interesting, to me.

If your research turns up articles about your destinations that you haven't time to read, download them to your tablet or phone. You'll have time at the airport on departure day, and time on the plane.

On the day before departure, go online to check the weather forecast. If it looks like you're facing quite a bit of rain, consider taking a full-size rather than a folding umbrella. That's not something I usually do, but for a two-destination trip in March to northern Europe, I think I'd be willing to carry a regular umbrella. Yes, I've been rained on many, many times in London.

London, Berlin and Paris all have lots to do, but in such a short trip, I'd limit it to London and Paris (since your arrival and departure cities are fixed). Both of these cities have lots of daytrip possibilities, if you need a change from the cities themselves.

I LOVE Berlin, but it just doesn't fit with this itinerary.